Compare towns
Epping vs Bow vs Hooksett vs Weare
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Epping has the most people working from home (24%).
Bow has the highest household income ($173k).
Hooksett has the most renters (19.4% rent).
Weare has the most homeowners (93.5%).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Epping | Bow | Hooksett | Weare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 7,430Lowest |
8,335 |
15,057Highest |
9,170 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +11.1%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+9.4% NH: +4.6% |
+10.6% NH: +4.6% |
+3.5%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 45.1±3.5 4% above NH |
41.5±2 4% below NH |
41.3±1.5Lowest 5% below NH |
45.6±4Highest 5% above NH |
| Weare and Epping are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±4.8 NH: 18.2% |
25%±3.6Highest NH: 18.2% |
17.4%±2.9Lowest NH: 18.2% |
22.4%±4 NH: 18.2% |
| Bow and Weare are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 22.6%±5.2Highest NH: 20.1% |
17.6%±2.5 NH: 20.1% |
17.3%±2.4 NH: 20.1% |
13.5%±3Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Epping and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
60.3%Highest NH: 40.6% |
39.6% NH: 40.6% |
41.2% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±3.3 NH: 6% |
5.6%±1.9 NH: 6% |
8.9%±1.6Highest NH: 6% |
4.3%±1.4Lowest NH: 6% |
| Hooksett and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $104,220±$7kLowest 5% above NH |
$172,857±$16kHighest 75% above NH |
$117,962±$11k 19% above NH |
$118,271±$17k 19% above NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,900±$35k 9% above NH |
$506,500±$34kHighest 26% above NH |
$407,000±$26k about the NH average |
$396,300±$26kLowest about the NH average |
| Bow and Epping are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,742±$576Highest 17% above NH |
$1,539±$178Lowest 3% above NH |
$1,661±$206 11% above NH |
$1,541±$214 3% above NH |
| Epping and Hooksett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,936 4% above NH |
$9,584Highest 44% above NH |
$6,554 about the NH average |
$6,272Lowest 6% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 67.8%±25.9Highest NH: 48.2% |
39%±13.2Lowest NH: 48.2% |
41.7%±16.4 NH: 48.2% |
62.2%±24.6 NH: 48.2% |
| Epping and Weare are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 4.7%Highest NH: 7.2% |
2.7% NH: 7.2% |
3.3% NH: 7.2% |
1.4%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.3% NH: 72.8% |
87.5% NH: 72.8% |
80.6%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
93.5%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1989Highest 10 yrs newer than NH |
1985Lowest 6 yrs newer than NH |
1988 9 yrs newer than NH |
1986 7 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 32 min 21% above NH |
27 min about the NH average |
27 minLowest about the NH average |
36 minHighest 34% above NH |
| Work from home | 24%±6.9Highest NH: 16.8% |
22.7%±4.7 NH: 16.8% |
13.4%±3.1Lowest NH: 16.8% |
22.8%±4.9 NH: 16.8% |
| Epping and Weare are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #77 of 120 in NH | #26 of 120 in NH | #30 of 120 in NH | #84 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Epping School District | Bow School District | Hooksett School District | John Stark Regional School District · Weare School District |
| High school in town | Epping High School | Bow High School | None in town | John Stark Regional High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.3Lowest |
12.8Highest |
— | 11.4 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
NH average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.